All true. But I mean more from aesthetics, two 24" blades are "more blade" than a single 36". It's overall 48" of color. It's prettier, it what I'm saying, but not necessarily more functional.
Ok, I can understand that. This is just a difference in view point, where I always look at functional first, and pretty almost never. Neither is wrong, it's just a matter of what you're trying to achieve.
Although, if someone where very skilled, could they not use one short saber to block a 36" blade and step in for a killing blow?
I hate that I have to say "yes" as an answer to this question. Although it's only partially skill, it's actually more about speed: can I disengage from your block and cut you before you can get to me. In it's simplest form, using a single 36" blade against two 24" blades, I would probably knock your left hand blade from the inside out. Reflexively you would probably move forward with your right hand blade. However, since I'm inside your two blades, I would simply bring my blade back across, and since you're moving forward, most likely cut off your hand/arm. Then, depending on what you do with your left hand saber, either take that hand/arm off, or simply cut you in half across your midsection.
Does range really outweigh having 2 blades?
Obviously would be outmatched against a dual 36" wielder.
It very much can, and usually but not always should. The "problem" most people who dual wield have is that they tend to attack with only one blade at a time. Thus only one blade is needed to counter them. Although it's a choreographed fight, I refer you to Dooku vs. Anakin in AotC. Although Anakin has two blades, he only ever attacks with one, thus Dooku has no problem defending against him. What you want is to be striking at your opponent with both blades at the same time from angles where it's impossible to block both blades at the same time.
In fact, in our example, given that the range difference is so great (12") I could almost literally just stand with my blade pointed straight out at your chest, and you'd impale yourself on it before you were in range to be able to hit me, even on the hand/arm holding the saber. And that's only if I'm just holding a static defense. If I'm actively attacking you, range really matters because you'll never be in range to counter attack without at least also getting hit yourself, and probably hit first at that. One other interesting thing that tends to happen with people who dual wield is, while they tend to attack with only one blade, it's reflexive to try to block with both blades. Unless you've been trained and practiced using two blades at once, I'm going to predict that you use the blade in your dominant hand about 80% of the time and blade in the other hand is just kind of there and used only when you remember it. It's just the way your brain works, to use the hand it's used to doing things with most of the time.
I really don't intend on doing any "hardcore" dueling as my opponents will be my teen boys, but they will both have 36" single blades, so I at least wanna gets some basics.
You say that now.... I'm afraid you're going to discover that your intention of not doing "hardcore" dueling may not be your boys' intention. Although, ironically, it's actually unintentional.
In my experience, here's what tends to happen: You'll all start out fairly slow, not hitting very hard at all. At some point, someone will realize that if they just go a little faster, they'll be able to "win" the duel. It's usually not even a conscious decision. It just happens. Then someone else will go a little faster than that to defend. And then faster to get past that defense. And so on. The only real problem with this is that, while speed does not necessarily equate to power, speed does equate to how much getting hit hurts. I recommend arnica cream for the bruises.
A couple more things for now:
1) Get protective gear. This should NEVER be optional. No matter what rules you may set how fast you're going to go or for body parts being off limits, no strikes to the head, groin, etc., accidents will still happen. At a very bare minimum I recommend the following: Protective cup, because your sons may want kids of their own some day; gloves, lacrosse gloves are usually recommended, but even the work gloves with the raised protective rubber on the fingers is better than nothing, and I can almost guarantee that if you try it without gloves once, you won't try it twice, especially if you're outside and the weather is cool (below 50F); eye protection, even if it's just safety glasses/googles from the hardware store. From experience I've mistimed a deflection and literally walked into poking myself in the eye with my opponent's blade. If the weather is cool outside, really anything below 60F, I very strongly suggest pants and long sleeves, no matter how hot you may get while you're dueling. Because getting hit on bare skin, especially the colder it gets, even at half speed, stings. And anything faster than that is going to leave a mark (this too I know from experience. A lot of experience.).
2) I want to be absolutely clear on this: I am NOT saying, in any way, shape, or form, that what you want to do is wrong in any way. What your character does is completely up to you, including saber blade length. I'm more directing this to what you can expect dueling with your boys, because I'd rather you not end up getting hit a lot without being able to effectively hit back. Or at least you'll go into it with the expectation of getting hit a lot. And saber dueling with your kids is absolutely a ton of fun. Unless you're dueling with your boys in character, I actually recommend getting 32" blades. You'll still have a shorter reach, but significantly less so, and I've found that 32" blades work just fine on even the smaller Initiate/Apprentice hilts.
Let us know how it goes after your first duel, I'm curious to know the results.